Typographical machine



Oct. 12, 1937. L. COLLINS TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES T QFFEE TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE Lynne Collins, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application October 11, 1935, Serial No. 44,490

Claims. (Cl. 1994=3) In such machines, the distributing mechanism comprises rotating screws and an actuating device therefor, the screws being adapted and arranged to convey the matrices along a grooved rail or bar, from which they are released at the proper points to return themto appropriate channels in the magazine. During the operation of this mechanism, however, it sometimeshappens that the rotation of the screws is abnormally resisted as, for example, by a. matrix becomin lodged in the entrance to the magazine channel, and to avoid damage to the magazine channel as well as to the matrices, it is now common practice to provide means such as those disclosed by A. P. Paine in U. S. Patent No. 1,099,465 for lock--. ing the screws against further rotation when the resistance thereto becomes abnormal; and to prevent the screws and the delicately constructed mechanism associated therewith from being subjected to undue strain, it is also common practice to employ an actuating device which is rendered inoperative when the'screws become locked, The 5 actuating devicegenerally employed for this purpose comprises aclutch, the driving and driven members of which are maintained in frictional engagement by a spring which is automatically rendered inoperative when the screws become normally resisted.

In practice, howevenit has been found that this arrangement is not entirely satisfactory because when the clutch is first'assembled it is essential that the strength of the spring is such that the force exerted thereby be sufficient to maintain the driving and driven members in frictional engagement when the resistance to the rotation of the screws is normal but insufficient to subject the screws to destructive strains before thefclutch is rendered inoperative in the eventthe resistance to their rotation becomes abnormal; and when the spring is so constructed the clutch has a tendency to slip after ithas been in use and the parts thereof subjected to wear. 1

looked as 'a result of their rotation being ab- The present. invention is shown and described as being an improvement on clutches of this type to the extent that easily accessible and simply constructed means are provided for adjusting the spring so that the force exerted thereby between the driving and driven members of the clutch may be maintained at substantially a desired value, thus insuring a positive engagement of these members when the resistance to the rotation of the screws is normal and a disengagement of these members the instant the resistance to the rotation of the screws becomes abnormal.

Obviously, however, the principles involved are capable of far broader application and may be adapted to distinctly different types of distributors and the actuating devices therefor, and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

For a clear understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the end of the distributing mechanism, partly broken away, embodying the features of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and having portions thereof broken away to more clearly showthe relation of parts.

In operation, the matrices I!) are, as usual, conveyed along a grooved bar or rail II by rotating screws I2 and drop therefrom into their pro-per channels it of a magazine entrance M which leads to a storage magazine (not shown).

As usual, certain of the screws l2 are provided with disks [8, substantially similar to those disclosed in the above noted patent to A. P. Paine, and as described in that patent they are preferably formed with inclined or spiral flanges, and are so arranged that in ordinary operation they run freely inrelation to each other, but with their respective flanges or threads always in lateral proximity so that if, for any reason, the synchronism of the screws be interrupted, the disks it will be shifted in angular relation to each other, resulting in the lateral contact of their respective flanges and consequently the immediate and positive arrest or locking of the screws; and to prevent damage the power which drives the screws I2, is, as usual, supplied through a friction clutch l5 which is adapted and arranged to be rendered inoperative when the screws are so locked.

The clutch l5 comprises a driving disk l9 and a driven disk 2!. The driving disk i9 is rotatably mounted on a drive shaft I6 between two collars 23 and 26 which are so positioned as to prevent axial movement of the disk along the shaft, and, during a machine cycle of operation, it rotates continuously. The driven disk 2| is also rotatably mounted on the shaft l6 between collar 24 and a set screw 25 which are so spaced as to permit this disk to be moved axially along the shaft to carry a face member 22 mounted thereon into and out of engagement with the oppositely disposed face of the driving disk l9, and it is provided with a beveled oifset dog member 26 adapted and arranged to interlock with a similarly shaped dog member 2'! carried by'a collar 28 fixedly secured as by-a pin 28a, to a sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 is so keyed to the drive shaft It as to be capable of being moved axially therealong under and against the influence of a compression spring 36 and it is resiliently coupled to the driven disk 2! by a torsion spring 29 which is secured at one end to a pin 3! carried by the collar 28 and at its otherend to a similar pin 33 carried by the rear face of the driven disk. In setting the clutch the sleeve is moved backwardly along the shaft l6 until the offset dog members 26 and 2? are in radial alignment at which time the torsion spring 29 is permitted to rotate the driven disk 2! with respect to the sleeve 28 until the dog members interlock, and when the dog members are so interlocked the compression spring 30 is permitted to force the sleeve 26 and the driven disk 2! forwardly along the shaft l6 until the face member 22 friction,- ally engages the oppositely disposed face of the driving disk is at which time the driving and driven disks, the sleeve and the drive shaft rotate as a unit.

As usual, the screws I2, are adapted and arranged to be rotated by the shaft it when the clutch I5 is engaged through a gearing arrangement l'l which comprises a gear l'la, mounted on the shaft in mesh with a gear llb, mounted on one of the screws. The gear llb is also in mesh with a gear I70, mounted on another of the screws, and another gear lid, which is also mounted on this second mentioned screw, is in mesh with a gear (not shown) mounted on the remaining third screw (not shown). As usual, the gearing arrangement is such that the screws rotate at the same rate of speed to'convey the matrices it along the grooved bar or rail H. 'In' the event, however, that the resistance to the rotation of the screws I2 is abnormally resisted and the shaft it becomes locked against further rotation by the interlocking action of the disks !8 in the manner set forth in the above noted patent to Paine, the driving disk E9, in continuing to rotate, pulls apart the interlocking dog members 26 and 27 against the action of the springs 29 and 33, and when the dog members are thus separated, the sleeve moves axially along the shaft it under the influence of the compression spring until a collar 35 mounted thereon abuts a bearing 37 in which the sleeve is mounted. The driven disk 2i being thus relieved of the influence of the compression spring 39 is instantly disengaged from the driving'disk i9 and the latter continues to rotate idly. From the above it is obvious that if the strength of the compression spring Si] is too small the clutch l5 will be inoperative, that is, it will slip even when the resistance to the rotation of the screws i2 is normal, and that if the strength of this spring is too great considerable damage might be experienced before the interlocking dog members 26 and 27 would be pulled apart to render the clutch inoperative in case the resistance to the rotation of the screws became abnormal.

In accordance with the present embodiment of the invention means are provided for adjusting the compression spring 30 so that the pressure exerted thereby between the driving disk l9 and the face member 22 may be maintained at a value which is sufficient to hold them in frictional engagement while the resistance to the rotation of the screws is normal, but insufficient to prevent a separation of the dog members 26 and 2! the instant the resistance to the rotation of the screws l2 becomes abnormal; and to this end the housing 34 in which the compression spring 39 is positioned is closed at its outer end by a telescoping cup-shaped member 33 which when moved axially with respect to the sleeve 20 varies the compression in the spring 36. To permit the cup-shaped member to be so moved, it is provided with a stud 39, the outer end of which is secured in an opening formed in the base of the cup-shaped member as by a pin 40 and the inner end of which is threaded part way into a. recess M formed in the rear end of the shaft 16. By turning the cup-shaped member 38 its position with respect to the sleeve 20 is varied and the compression in the spring 30 is varied accordingly; forward axial movement of the sleeve being prevented while the spring is being so adjusted by either the interlocked dog members 26 and Z'lwhen the clutch is engaged or by the collar 36 abutting against the bearing 31 when the clutch is disengaged.

In further accordance with the present invention means are provided for locking the cupshaped member 38 against further rotation after the desired compression has been obtained in the spring 30, and the locking means employed is such as to permit the re-setting of the clutch in the manner heretofore described, and to this end the collar 36 mounted on the sleeve 20 is provided with a set screw 42 having a reduced inner end 43 which, when the set screw is seated, extends through the sleeve 20 and into an elongated slot 44 in the cup-shaped member 38. To adjust the compression in the spring 30, the set screw .42 is backed off until the reduced inner end 43 is withdrawn from the elongated slot 44 and the cup-shaped member 38 is then turned through one or more complete turns to obtain the desired compression in the spring after which the set screw 42 is again advanced until the reduced inner end 43 is positionedin the elongated slot 44. Y

As previously stated, while the principles of the present invention may be and are advantageously employed in connection with a friction clutch, they may be similarly employed in connection with other type driving mechanisms where it may be desired to disconnect the driving force in the event of undue resistance of some driven part.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typographical machine, the combination of distributing mechanism, operating devices therefor including a main drive shaft having a driving disk, a driven disk and a sleeve mounted thereon, interlocking dog members carried by said driven disk and by said sleeve, resilient means for maintaining said dog members interlocked, resilient means for forcing said driven and driving disks into engagement, and means for so adjusting said last mentioned resilient means that the forces exerted thereby are sufficient to maintain said driven and driving members in frictional engagement while the resistance to the operation of the mechanism is normal.

2. In a typographical distributing mechanism having screws for conveying matrices along a distributor bar, the combination of a friction clutch, interlocking devices for effecting the automatic disengagement of the clutch, a spring acting through said devices for holding the clutch engaged, and means for Varying the strength of the spring.

3. In a typographical distributing mechanism having screws for conveying matrices along a distributor bar, the combination of a shaft for rotating the screws, interlocking devices for effecting the automatic disengagement of the clutch, a spring acting through said devices for holding the clutch engaged, and means for varying the strength of the spring. 7 4. In a typographical distributing mechanism having screws for conveying matrices along a distributor bar, the combination of a shaft for rotating the screws, a sleeve mounted on the shaft, a friction clutch including driven and driving disks for rotating said sleeve and said shaft, interlocking dog members carried by said sleeve and by said driven disk, a spring acting through said members for maintaining the clutch closed, and means for varying the strength of the spring. 5. In a typographical distributing mechanism having screws for conveying matrices along a distributor bar, the combination of a shaft for rotating the screws, a sleeve mounted on the shaft, a friction clutch including driven and driving disks for rotating said sleeve and said shaft, interlocking dog members carried by said sleeve and by said driven disk, a spring acting through said members for maintaining the clutch closed, means for varying the spring until its strength is at a desired value, and means for maintaining the strength of the spring at said desired value.

LYNNE COLLINS. 

